


Say No To This

by ShyVioletCat



Series: Say No To This [1]
Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: F/M, evidence of physical violence, mentions of physical violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27079363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShyVioletCat/pseuds/ShyVioletCat
Summary: Based on Say No To This from the Hamilton Musical Soundtrack
Relationships: Elide Lochan/Lorcan Salvaterre, Elorcan - Relationship
Series: Say No To This [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1976359
Comments: 1
Kudos: 20





	Say No To This

**_There’s nothing like summer in the city_ **

**_Someone under stress meets someone looking pretty_ **

Lorcan despised summer in the city. The air was too close and there were too many people bustling around in the heat. But he had no choice but to stay here and fulfill his contract. His book was due for publication on the first day of autumn. Much of the year had wasted away, Lorcan despondent and unproductive, too uninspired to write anything but a few lines here and there. So while his wife travelled to somewhere where the air was cool enough to breathe easily, he had stayed holed up in their home in Perranth, shut in until he had this novel written.

He didn’t miss her –– his wife. The marriage to Maeve had been for the sake of money and position. He was a handsome, no-name bastard novelist with a fair amount of talent and she was looking for someone without ambition to wed to keep her money where it was. She had found exactly what she needed in him and wooed him until she got what she wanted. Then the marriage had become something of a convenience, security for the both of them. Maeve’s fortune was secure and Lorcan was left to write without needing to find a supplement income to survive. They would eventually need to provide an heir he supposed, but that would all be on Maeve’s timing.

Lorcan sighed at the page in front of him, it was blank, like it had been for hours. A secretary from the publishing office would be along soon to collect what he had to take to the editor. Lorcan had almost nothing to give them and he expected to be called into the office any day now for a little chat. As if summoned by thought the doorbell chimed and Lorcan took the few pages he had and left his office to open the front door. He kept no staff besides a housekeeper and cook while Maeve was away, their only real purpose to keep him fed. He was ready to deliver his gruff greeting to the errand boy they set but he hadn’t expected a petite young woman to be standing on his doorstep, so he stood there expectantly waiting to see what she wanted. 

“Can I… help you?” He said after a moment.

The woman gave him a short bob of a courtsey. “Miss Lochan, sir. I’m here from the publishers.”

 _Lochan_. That name rung a bell.

“Mr Owens is unwell today, so I am here to collect your pages.

It was odd for a young woman to be doing such a job, but times were changing he supposed. Lorca really looked at her then, she was pretty, beautiful even. Her skin pale, making her dark hair and eyes striking. 

“Here,” Lorcan said, handing her the papers. 

Miss Lochan tucked the pages into the bag she carried. “Good day to you.”

“Good day,” Lorcan mumbled back and shut the door behind him.

~~~~~ 

It seemed Mr Owens was sick the whole week and Miss Lochan came by each day instead to get his pages. It was as if he was a child, turning his required pages in to the teacher. He hated it, but it was necessary. There was no other way to keep him on track. Today the neat rap on the door came exactly on time and Lorcan was in the sitting room waiting, pages in hand. He opened the door and Miss Lochan gave him a wry smile and that ridiculous curtsy. 

“Mr Salvaterre,” she said. “Your new pages I presume.”

“You would presume right,” Lorcan said as he handed them over.

“I’ve been reading it, you know,” Miss Lochan, with a sly smile. “It’s not bad.”

“But not good,” Lorcan countered.

The dark-haired beauty shrugged. “It’s just missing something. Some heart.”

Lorcan lent against the door frame. “I thought you would have heard by now, Miss Lochan. I don’t have a heart.”

She just looked at him in a way that told him she could read each lie his words told. “I was also asked to tell you they expect you to deliver tomorrow’s pages in person in the office.”

Lorcan let out an exasperated sigh at that, but was as polite as he could be when he addressed her. “Thank you Miss Lochan.”

“It’s Elide,” the woman said. 

“What?” Lorcan said, his mind still a step behind.

“My name. It’s Elide,” she said again.

Elide.

“Lorcan,” he said, extending his hand and realising a moment too late it may not be the proper thing to do. But she took it and gave his hand a firm shake.

“Until tomorrow then, Lorcan,” Elide said and then walked down the few steps onto the street. 

Lorcan couldn’t help it as he watched her walk away until she was no longer in sight.

~~~~~

Elide sat at her desk, waiting to be told what to do next. She was little more than a glorified maid working here, doing errands and fetching things. But it paid and that was something. She saved what she could so she could travel to Orynth and not look back. Soon, so soon, she would have enough and she could leave this place. The front door opened and Elide turned her attention there as a giant figure entered. He was too big for this overcrowded space, with his broad shoulders and towering height, people actually recoiled and darted out of his way as he moved. 

He cut an imposing figure, that was sure. But he was just a man, nothing more.

So easily he spotted her at her desk and he walked right over to her.

“Good morning, Miss Lochan,” he said, nodding his head once. 

“Mr Salvaterre,” she said, nodding herself. “We wouldn’t want to miss our daily greeting now, would we?”

“No, EIide. I think not,” Lorcan replied. 

“Mr Salvaterre, this way please,” a male voice said.

Both Elide and Lorcan turned to see Nox Owens standing there, ready to lead Lorcan to his meeting.

“Until next time, Miss Lochan,” Lorcan said, reverting to her more formal address in company.

“Until next time,” Elide said and watched him walk away. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement, and saw her uncle standing in the corner. Her blood went cold at his calculating stare, colder still when he gave her a smile that promised cruel machinations.

~~~~~

Despite Mr Owens recovery Elide continued to be the one to retrieve his pages everyday. As time went on they conversed more, she lingered longer, she managed to get a few rare smiles from him with her quick and sharp wit. It went on like this for almost a month. Sometimes she would bring him pastries from the bakery she passed on her way to his house. The first time he asked her to stay she said no, on the third request she had said yes and stayed. 

They had gone to the small sitting room and eaten them together. She had knelt on the ground, going over his work on the low table. Lorcan watched Elide with a fascination –– he couldn’t help but watch her. The way her fingers traced over the words, how her brows creased as she concentrated as she read, the way her bottom lip tucked under her teeth, the way the flush on her cheeks from the heat lessened as she relaxed with him. Elide was exquisite, and she had no idea.

Lorcan ended up handing her more pages every day, something within him unlocking, the words coming more freely. Not enough to save him entirely, but enough to keep his head above the water for now. 

Then one day it was Mr Owens again, and it was him for days after. The progress he had made on his work lagged, the amount of pages becoming almost nothing again. Lorcan was being dragged down back into that empty abyss once more. At this point he hadn’t slept for a week, he felt weak but awake beyond the point of rest. There had never been a bastard orphan more in need of a break. He started to miss his wife, if only for the carnal relief and for the house not to be so gods-damned quiet.

The half filled page in front of him mocked him as he was sipping at as whiskey and stared at it pointlessly, when there was a faint knock on the door. He wasn’t sure he had actually heard anything until it sounded again, sharper and more desperate. It was late so he had no idea who would be at his door at this hour. 

Never in his life did her expect to find Elide on his doorstep. 

Every time he had seen her she had been put together, flawless. Tonight her hair was a mess, she held the cloak around her so tightly her knuckles turned white, the bits of the dress he could see were creased, a part of it torn. But what shocked him the most was the cut on her cheek, the bruising around her eye.

“Elide…” he all but breathed her name once the initial shock wore off. 

“I know you are a man of honor, I’m so sorry to bother you at home,” she said quietly, her voice trembling on the undoubtably rehearsed words. “But I don’t know where to go. My uncle’s been doing me wrong. Beating me, mistreating me, he stole from me to pay his gambling debt and did this when I tried to stop him. Suddenly he’s up and gone.” She took in a breath that made the entirety of her small whole body shudder. “I don’t have the means to go on.”

“Come in,” Lorcan said and moved aside so Elide could come in from the night.

She did, her head bowed in fear or shame, he didn’t know. But he knew she had nothing to be ashamed about.

“Can I get you anything?” Lorcan asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft as to not startle her.

Elide shook her head and winced. “No thank you, sir.”

“What can I do?” Tears were streaming down her face, but she didn’t look at him. Lorcan couldn’t bear the sight of her so broken. “Stay a moment, please.”

He said nothing else before heading for his study and pulling open a drawer in his desk. He grabbed the cash he had there, it wasn’t much but It would hopefully be enough for whatever Elide needed. She was exactly where he left her, and gently Lorcan pried a hand from where it clutched her cloak.

“Here, take this,” Lorcan said, pressing the money into her hand.

Elide shook her head furiously. “I can’t––

“It’s a loan,” he insisted. “It’s a loan.”

She looked up at him there, her dark eyes shining with gratitude she could not voice as tears fell. Without thinking Lorcan brushed them away from her unmarred cheek.

“Let me walk you home,” Lorcan offered and this time Elide nodded.

She only lived a block away, the journey short as she walked beside him, her delicate hand holding onto his arm. She stopped in front of a modest townhouse and turned to him.

“This one’s mine,” Elide said. “You’re too kind, sir. To walk me home, and… for everything.”

“Lorcan,” he said.

Elide offered him a sad smile then. “Will you come in for a moment, Lorcan? Just in case.”

Lorcan nodded and let his hand slip into her’s as she led him up the steps and unlocked the front door. The home was silent, only a few lights on and Elide left out a sigh of relief. For a few long moments they stood in the dim lights, his hand still being gripped by Elide’s.

“Well,” Lorcan said, “I should head back home.”

Still neither of them moved. Then Elide turned to him, her face turning red. Wordlessly she pulled him towards the stairs and Lorcan followed without resistance. On the first landing she led him down the hall into a room. Lorcan looked around the space, he noted the damage and mess that he deduced came from the struggle Elide had mentioned. An anger started to burn within him, a rage that would result in violence if he ever saw Vernon Lochan again.

Elide led him closer to the bed and when they were a few feet away she let go of his hand, dropping her cloak. The purple gown she wore was in better condition than he had first expected, but that wasn’t what she had been hiding under the cloak with how tightly she had gripped it. No. She had been hiding the vicious bruise along her collarbone and creeping up her neck. Lorcan took a step closer, his hand hovering above it before his hand clenched into a fist. 

Elide gripped his wrist bringing his knuckles to her lips. “Stay,” she breathed onto his skin.

Lorcan began to pray, hoping Hellas would pass on his pleas to whatever god would give him the sense to say no to this, to walk away. But gods, as she sat back on her bed looking so helpless, her dark eyes pleading with him in a way that was the complete opposite of his own pleas, the will to say no was escaping him. Still he prayed.

_Show me how to say no to this, I don’t know how to say no to this._

Elide eased herself to lie on the bed, and so willing Lorcan followed, his body hovering above hers. She was the one to kiss him, her lips soft and shy, but full of need. His body was taut with restraint, in his mind Lorcan was telling himself to go. To leave now, before this went somewhere he couldn’t turn back from.

But then Elide looped her arms around his neck, bringing his body flush with hers, all her softness pressing into the hardness of him and she sighed. Lorcan felt Elide’s knee hitch up to his hip, her body moving in a way that had told him yes. 

_Yes._

_Yes._

“Yes,” Elide whispered, her hands finding any skin she could reach.

Then her mouth was on his and Lorcan didn’t say no.


End file.
